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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] Hugel bed, different application

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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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  • From: "Liz" <liz@allslash.org>
  • To: "Healthy soil and sustainable growing" <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Hugel bed, different application
  • Date: Wed, 15 Jul 2009 22:42:48 -0400


We hugelkultur. My land is mostly forest. Where I have garden space, the builder of our home bulldozed away ALL topsoil. We had only subsoil and rock to garden with. After trying sheet composting and adding purchased topsoil and failing, we found hugelkultur to be THE answer for us.

I've adapted the technique though. Our garden space is on steep hills so each bed is terraced. We dig to a depth of about 24 to 36 inches, fill the hole with our rotted wood, twigs, leaves, kitchen scraps and other compostables. Then we mix the subsoil (nothing grows in it.. not even bermuda) with compost and put that soil back over the piled wood mix. Any leftover subsoil is used to make rims around beds and trees to help hold in water or to help build in paths and low spots.

Fascinating. I don't think there's any way I could dig 24 to 36 inches deep in my clay. It's like concrete to begin with, and on top of that, the land was part of a tobacco farm years ago that got plowed year after year after year, so there's an even worse layer of hardpan about three feet down. But I can go up, in the raised beds I've already got. Have to try that in one that I don't have planted yet. You must have some mechanical way to dig. Around here it would take a backhoe to go that deep.

Thanks for the info. I need to look around and learn more about this.

Liz
http://life-as-a-spectator-sport.com




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